Right after canceling its CES visual appeal, Mercedes hosted a tech occasion in Los Angeles past 7 days to showcase a array of topics, from the Vision EQXX concept automobile to output-prepared driver-guidance tech like its automated valet parking method and Level 3 Generate Pilot arms-no cost system. But maybe the most crucial element of the celebration — at the very least from a buyer perspective — was finding to acquire a experience in the EQE, Mercedes’ new electric E-Class sedan equivalent.
The car or truck employed for this journey-alongside is an EQE350, which will be the entry-amount product in the US. This 1 is virtually completely loaded with the Hyperscreen, 20-inch wheels with Pirelli P-Zero tires, air suspension and 10-degree rear-axle steering, all of which will be optional. The EQE350 makes use of a 90.6-kilowatt-hour battery pack and a one electrical motor at the rear wheels placing out 288 horsepower and 391 pound-ft of torque. It feels plenty speedy from the passenger seat, with a quoted -to-60-mph time of 5.6 seconds, and both equally a additional impressive all-wheel-generate model and a stupidly swift AMG design are on the horizon. With a 75% demand remaining, this US-spec vehicle displays a selection of around 270 miles, which really should hopefully lead to a whole array of shut to 350 miles.
On the beautiful roadways by Santa Monica and Malibu, the EQE’s ride on its adaptive air suspension feels firmer than an E-Class, but it truly is composed around bumps and tough surfaces and is not way too rigid. I can explain to you will find considerably less physique roll than the EQS450 I drove very last year, and Mercedes suggests its engineers developed the EQE to feel sportier than the E-Course even with the base metal suspension setup. Though it should feel rather nimble with out rear-wheel steering, the available 10-degree procedure gives the EQE a tremendous limited turning radius.
If you do not like the EQS’ just one-bow style and design language you most likely will never like the EQE, but its stubbier styling is at minimum a minimal much more regular in phrases of general form and proportions. Like its larger electrical sibling, I imagine the EQE’s style is effective the greatest in a genuine colour and with the most important wheels available. It would not search it, but the EQE is about 3 inches extended than a gas-driven E-Class sedan and has a significantly for a longer period wheelbase.
The cabin feels like a scaled-down EQS, also, specifically specified this car or truck shares the exact same enormous Hyperscreen display, but the EQE has exclusive door panels with great armrests and a little bit unique dashboard and centre console types. This EQE has black MB-Tex fake leather-based upholstery with darkish matte wooden trim, which will not glance nearly as remarkable as some of the lighter color solutions, and some of the lessen-down plastics and trim items really don’t come to feel as awesome as what is actually in the EQS. But a lot more deluxe Nappa leather will be obtainable, and the inside is at minimum on-par with the present E-Class in phrases of fit and finish. The rear seat is spacious and headroom isn’t going to seem as tight as the EQS’ many thanks to the EQE owning a quite significant regular trunk as an alternative of a hatchback, and the common panoramic sunroof doesn’t impact headroom too poorly either.
50 % in hour in the passenger seat in Malibu website traffic definitely isn’t really ideal for forming a definitive impression, but on 1st impressions the EQE feels just like what I was hoping for: a smaller, a lot more agile variation of the great EQS. Luckily we’ll be conducting a complete first travel of the EQE in the coming months, so keep tuned for a a great deal far more specific verdict. The EQE350 will go on sale in the US afterwards this year with a commencing price tag all around $60,000.